Computer software for maintenance resource management

• US 6,385,621 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Franklin Peter Frisina
• Original Assignee: Franklin Peter Frisina
• Inventors: Frisina, Franklin Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK, LINH
• Application Number:
  US09/443,649
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/500-542, 707/104.1, 705/7-11
• US Class Current: 707/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The invention is an integration software program that enables a user to use the logic and data accessible in a job standards development program to develop a job plan which is then transferred to a job planning software program where it is finalized and used to produce work orders. Integrating these two programs results in producing job plans rapidly and assures optimum utilization of labor, materials and tools.

Claims

1. A system for maintenance resource management comprising:

a user accessible computer terminal;

a first software program for producing job standards based on predetermined user queries and information contained in a database, the first software program being accessible by the computer terminal;

a second software program for producing a job plan based on information supplied by a user through the computer terminal, the second software program being accessible by the computer terminal; and

,

an integration software program having a switch responsive to a user command entered through the computer terminal and initiated through either the first or second software program to switch the user to the second or first software program respectively, and having means for transferring data from one software program to the other software program for filling predefined fields in one software program from the other software program such that a user generates a job standard in the first software program and transfers at least portions of the developed job standard into a job plan that is saved in the second software program.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second software program has means to produce a work order based on the job plan.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first software program has access to a database containing data tables selected from the group consisting of equipment tables, labor tables, manhour tables, operation tables, material tables, tool tables and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second database accessible by either the first or second software program, the second database containing saved operation data.

4. A method for preparing a job plan for a maintenance operation comprising:

providing a first software program for producing job standards based on user queries and information contained in a database;

providing a second software program for producing a job plan based on information supplied by a user;

providing an integration software program having a switch responsive to a user command to switch the user from either the first or second program to the second or first program respectively and transfer means for transferring data between the first and second programs;

accessing the second software program to initiate job plan creation, actuating the integration software program switch to switch to the first software program, using the first software program to develop a preliminary job plan and activating the switch and transfer means to transfer at least selected portions of the preliminary job to the second software program thereby creating the job plan in the second software program.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising using the second software program to generate a work order.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising adjusting the job plan using a schedule factor.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising adjusting the job plan using a schedule factor.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising adjusting the job plan using estimated daily preparation time.

9. The method of claim 4 further comprising using the first software to program to identify each operation step to be performed to complete the maintenance operation, and to determine the labor required, operation duration, material required and tools required for each operation step.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising reviewing the first software program operation steps and accepting, rejecting or modifying each operation step.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising saving each operation step in the database.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first software program has access to the saved operation steps when preparing a subsequent job plan.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein a complete job plan is transferred to the second software program.